Clare U20 hurler, Seán Rynne.
oneills.com Munster U20HC round 4
CLARE 2-27 WATERFORD 1-11
Clare have kept their hopes of a direct route to the oneills.com Munster U20 hurling final alive with a 19-point victory over Waterford.
The Banner are now guaranteed a semi-final spot against Cork but they could yet trade up if they win by six points in their concluding round-robin match away to unbeaten Tipperary.
It was a victory secured with goals from Michael Collins and James Organ (1-5), plus 12 points from free-taker Conor Whelan. A late Conor Keane goal gave Waterford some consolation.
Waterford started brightly with three Charlie Treen frees but were pulled apart from a long puck-out on the quarter hour. Jack O’Neill won the break and Organ laid off his delivery for Collins to dispatch low to the net.
The Banner made the most of that boost by holding the visitors scoreless for the second quarter while adding six points of their own; 1-8 to 0-4 at half-time.
Waterford managed four in a row in response and the gap was six at the three-quarter mark, 1-14 to 0-11.
But Clare didn’t concede again until stoppage time while adding another 1-11 without reply. The goal arrived in the first additional minute when Organ was isolated inside and found the bottom corner.
Three minutes later, the Déise raised a green flag. From a close-range free, the sliotar pinballed around the square before Keane, wearing no.2, pounced to tuck it away.
Scorers for Clare: Conor Whelan 0-12 (9f); James Organ 1-5; Seán Rynne 0-4; Michael Collins 1-0; Niall O’Farrell 0-2; Eoghan Gunning, James Hegarty, Jamie Moylan, Jack O’Neill 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: Charlie Treen 0-6 (6f); Conor Keane 1-1; Daniel Lalor, Evan Spellman, Marc Mahony 0-1 each.
CLARE: Mark Sheedy; Eoghan Gunning, Tony Leyden, John Cahill; Evan Maxted, James Hegarty, Jamie Moylan; Ronan O’Connor, Seán Rynne; James Organ, Niall O’Farrell, Ronan Kilroy; Conor Whelan, Jack O’Neill, Michael Collins.
Subs: Ronan Keane for Leyden (15), James Doherty for Kilroy (42), Eoin McMahon for Maxted (55), Liam Crotty for O’Neill (56), Piaras Ó Sé for O’Connor (59).
WATERFORD: Cian Troy; Conor Keane, Daniel Lalor, Michael Burke; Aaron O’Neill, Billy O’Connell, Cillian Ryan; Joseph O’Keeffe, Fionn Hallinan; Seán Mackey, Evan Spellman, Jack Twomey; Charlie Treen, Marc Mahony, Michael Morrissey.
Subs: Jack Power for Hallinan (28), Conor Tobin for Mackey (h-t), Rory Dobbyn for O’Keeffe (36), Brian O’Callaghan for Spellman (47), Jack O’Donnell for Treen (55).
Referee: Ciarán O’Regan (Cork).